Privatization, outsourcing and platformization of urban services: a study on business agents performance in the city of São Paulo

• Grant number: 25/15369-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Urban and Regional Planning - Urban and Regional Services
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Cesar Leão Marques
• Grantee: Carolina Alvim de Oliveira Freitas
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07616-7 - CEM - Center for Metropolitan Studies, AP.CEPID

Abstract

This project investigates the privatization, outsourcing, and platformization of urban services in São Paulo by analyzing contracts established between the Municipality and private companies. Urban services, traditionally referred to as "general services" in the 20th century, have been rebranded as "facilities" by the market in the last two decades. This shift in terminology reflects a concrete and constitutive trend in the urban restructuring of São Paulo. Examples of this inclination include: municipal contracts for security and surveillance, involving the acquisition and maintenance of facial recognition camera towers in central areas dominated by major economic players in the sector; the digital mediation of on-street parking via apps, managed by private parking companies; the cleaning and maintenance of public facilities (e.g., schools, hospitals, and administrative buildings) by firms specializing in outsourced support services; subcontracted utilities (particularly in meter reading and maintenance for water and energy services); among other evidence. The expansion and industrialization of urban infrastructure support services combine technological advancements in labor management-applied to "facilities" like security, parking, cleaning, maintenance, and utilities-with a significant process of capital concentration and centralization in this corporate market. Through contractual agreements, these actors now assume the provision of these services via digitally controlled subcontracting. (AU)